A Guide to Effective Car Service!

In order to keep away from big and troublesome bills when it comes time to pay for a car service and successive car repairs, there are things that we can all do to extend and improve the life of our vehicle. Many people have hesitation about how often a car needs to be serviced, strategies to reduce running costs and techniques for maintaining the appearance of a car.

How Often Should You Service A Car?
Along with the kit, you get the owner's manual that comes with every vehicle specifies how often a service is required. As a rule of thumb all vehicles should be serviced at least once a year and/or every 12,000 miles. Regular Car Servicing is important to elongate the lifespan of your vehicle which will save you money in the long run. A car that goes without servicing for longer periods of time is more susceptible to breakdown and has higher fuel costs while potentially being a lot more dangerous to drive.

Why should you have your car serviced regularly?

• Regular servicing extends the life of mechanical components
• Ensures that your car is safe and roadworthy
• Likely to make your car more reliable
• Provides greater economy
• Increase your car’s resale value.

Some of the benefits of regular car service are listed below.
The benefits of regularly and properly servicing your car are phenomenal. Not only can it turn out to be more fuel-efficient but it'll also be a whole lot more reliable and safer.

• Significantly lowers the risk of breakdown and parts failure.
• Detects early signs of possible substantial damage.
• Gives the motorist peace of mind that their car is in a safe condition for use on the road.
• Can greatly improve fuel economy.
• Reduce your vehicles running costs.
• Cuts down your vehicles emissions.
• Lengthens the life expectancy of your car.
• Helps you to maintain the value of the vehicle.

If you are doing high mileage (average mileage is 8,000 miles a year) then ideally you should have a full service, once a year, but six months apart.

What does a car service include?
The requirements for your car’s service will really depend on the make, model and any obvious problems, but any service should always include the three basic requirements:

• The engine oil being changed
• Replacement of the engine oil filter
• A thorough safety check

In a broader scope other than this, it should consist of spark plugs if petrol, fuel filters,  tires, steering, suspension leaks , suspension springing, to make sure all lights are working, all fluids at correct level , fan belts tension, belts in good shape, anti freeze strength nand other basic things which gets covered in MOT Tests.

Running Costs. How much to expect?
Running a car is expensive. Reckless and improper driving always taxes a car more than anything else. So conservative driving will not only help to cut down the wear and tear on your car, it will also make your car more fuel efficient and reduce carbon emissions.

Here are some of the steps suggested by Shreenath Hyundai Service Centre which can reduce your car’s running costs:
At home you can:

• Check your tyre pressure
• Check your oil, water and coolant levels
• Check your lights

Adding to this, the following points can limit your running costs:

• Maintain your car regularly (this includes servicing but also relates to the frequency at which you clean your car)
• Seek out and use a credible, trusted and qualified repairer and insurance company
• Although it is not always practical or possible, try to drive in off-peak times
• Limit the number of trips that you do – as much as possible try to combine errands so that you are not making multiple trips
• Purchase your fuel on the days when it is cheapest. It is also a good idea to fill your tank to capacity on these days.

According to every car’s service schedule - filters, fluids, belts, brakes, pads, spark plugs and many other components need to be changed at specific intervals. Check your car manual for car's specific service schedule.

Mostly all car services are divided into three categories:
Oil Change Service - This should be carried out between services or before taking a long journey. Oil is vital to keep your engine running smoothly as it lubricates vital components.

Interim Service - An interim car service should be carried out every 6 months or 6,000 miles. This will keep your car safe and roadworthy in-between full services.

Full Car Service - A full car service should be carried out every 12,000 miles or 12 months to keep your car maintained correctly. In full Car Service, a thorough checking of car is done including the MOT Test analysis. It includes the tesinfg of brakes lights and other basic companents of a car.  

 

Be aware that if during the service faults are found or parts are discovered that need replacing it could cost you more money than the stated car service fee. Always instruct the garage to call you before completing any work that will cost more money..!